﻿To the Editor:
I am writing in support of Charlie Daniels for State Representative. I have known Charlie personally and professionally for over 16 years. I worked with him at Belmont Correctional Institution and know that, as an officer, he was a valued employee with a spotless work record held in high esteem by both his fellow officers and the prison administration. Charlie is running for State Representative from the 95th District.

His opponent in this race is Andy Thompson (R) from Marietta. I am a former Belmont County resident and have resided in Washington County since 2001. Andy Thompson is not what is best for our district. I live where Andy Thompson makes his home and he is not getting my vote because, in my opinion, he has shown a blatant disdain and disregard for working families in Ohio.
One comment made by Thompson showed his true character and is a reflection of how he has consistently voted: he said he wants to create jobs so people don’t have to work in prisons. How insulting!

Belmont Correctional Institution and Noble Correctional Institution have been a huge blessing to those counties by employing local residents who may or may not have a college degree, but are thrilled to have a great job to support their families. Does this statement mean the basic secretaries employed by his father’s company (Birdwatcher’s Digest) aren’t important? Does this statement mean the new small business owners don’t matter? My daughter works in a local pizza shop that recently opened in Marietta and let me tell you, every person working there is thrilled to just have a job!

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has never had to seek a job outside his family dynasty. In my opinion, Andy Thompson is rude, condescending and arrogant. Is that really what we want representing “us” as the District? I don’t want him as my voice! I want someone who has walked in my shoes, who has actually had to work and of our choices for candidate, Charlie Daniels is that person.

Thompson is not in touch with the reality of our “real” lives in any county within the 95th District. He solely votes his party and not what is best for us and he is supposed to be our voice! We need to elect Charlie Daniels simply because he is just like us: a veteran and from a working-class family, a family that has struggled to make ends meet in a downtrodden economy. Just look at Andy Thompson’s statistics with how he voted with Senate Bill 5. He clearly did not listen to us, nor did he care about how his vote would potentially affect us. He voted yes to pass Senate Bill 5. The bill was later repealed as Ohioans, both public employees and those employed in the private sector like me, voted 61 percent statewide against it. In the five counties that comprise the 95th District, the percentage voting against the bill rose to 70 percent. How in touch with constituents can Thompson be and how concerned with their well-being is he, when he voted to pass a bill so large a majority of Ohioans were against it? He simply voted for his party, not for the people he was supposed to be representing- people like you and me.

Charlie Daniels’ campaign slogan is “People before Politics.” It doesn’t get any simpler than that. Let’s get back to the basics of why we have a representative to speak for us in the first place. This is why I encourage everyone to vote for Charlie Daniels for State Representative on Nov. 6.